Even though I decided to take a little break from writing Airwolf due to creative reasons, this little story popped into my head and I just had to write. :o)

Christmas Puzzle

"Cait, what's going on?" asked Hawke as he slowly felt Airwolf drifting off course. "I can't seem to control her."

"System malfunction," replied Caitlin. "It looks like the weather and temperature are suddenly having an adverse effect on her. I think we are going to need to set her down."

"You're right," he replied. "This snowstorm is getting stronger and I don't think we're going to make it through."

"Scanners show a cabin about four miles ahead," Caitlin replied, trying to keep her cool. "There's a field just to the left of it."

Hawke sighed, "I see it. Let's just hope the owner doesn't mind a couple of visitors because we have no choice but to drop in."

The landing was a rough one and Caitlin felt the jolt all the way up her spine. Hawke quickly took inventory of his self and then turned to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, slightly worried. "He repeated it again when she didn't answer.

Her eyes were closed but after a few minutes she opened them and stared back at him.

"Yeah," she replied, her voice shaky. "I think that's the roughest landing we've ever had in her. I hope there isn't any other damage beyond the systems."

Hawke quickly scanned their surroundings. "It's getting dark quick," he replied. "We need to get out of here."

"I sure hope whoever is in there will let us in," said Caitlin as Hawke helped her climb out of Airwolf. They headed to the small log cabin that sat about fifty feet from where the two landed.

"I'm sure they heard us land," he replied. "I'm surprised no one came out."

When they got to the top of the steps, Hawke knocked on the door but no one answered.

"Scanners showed at least one person in there upon approach," Caitlin informed him. "Someone has to be in there."

Hawke knocked again and this time he called out to the person inside.

"We need help," he said. "Can we please come in?"

When there was still no answer, Hawke grabbed the door knob and was surprised when he was able to turn it and open the door. Carefully, the two made their way inside.

"Hello?" Hawke called out. "Is anyone home? Please, we need your help."

"Who are you?" a voice came from behind them.

Hawke and Caitlin whirled around to find an elderly woman with a shotgun pointed straight at them.

"Whoa," said Hawke. "We aren't going to hurt you. My friend and I had to make an emergency landing due to the weather. It's too cold to stay out there."

"You didn't answer my question," said the woman. "Who are you?"

"I'm Caitlin and this is Hawke," Cait told her. "We were on our way home and got caught up in the weather and had to make a pretty hard landing. We're sorry to intrude. We mean no harm."

The woman stared at them for several more minutes and then softened her stance. She smiled and put her gun down by the fireplace.

"I don't get many visitors up here," she told them. "My name's Meg. You're welcome to stay until the weather improves."

Caitlin smiled at her. "Thank you," she replied. "I hope the storm passes quickly since tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I'm supposed to be decorating and doing crafts at a children's Christmas party."

"Do you get weather reports up here?" asked Hawke. "We weren't expecting this storm."

"Actually I do have a weather radio," she told them. "Apparently this one took our local weather guys by surprise too," she said. "I'm afraid you two just might be stuck here until at least Christmas Day."

Hawke glanced over at Caitlin after hearing the woman's comment.

"Sorry Cait," he replied. "I know how excited you were about going to that party. I wouldn't have had you come with me if I'd known this would happen."

Caitlin sighed. "It's not your fault," she said.

The woman offered them coffee and the three sat down in front of the large fireplace that took nearly one wall of the main room.

"You have a really nice place here," said Caitlin.

"Thanks," replied Meg. "My husband and I built it about twenty years ago. We liked the seclusion of the area. It's close enough to civilization to have access to things we need yet far enough for peace and quiet."

"Sorry to intrude on your peace and quiet," said Hawke. "I understand the need for solitude. I have a cabin of my own."

The woman sighed. "Well, since my Bill died this past spring, it's actually been kind of lonely," she told them.

"Don't you have any other family?" asked Caitlin.

"I have a son," she replied. "He lives in Virginia and hasn't been here in six years."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Caitlin.

The woman gave her a slight smile. "Well, I don't dwell on the past," she said. "There's no need. I just go on and do the best that I can."

"I guess that's all any of us can do," said Hawke.

The woman went into the kitchen and pulled out a canister of cookies.

"Here," she said. "I did some baking for our church Christmas celebration and I made too much."

Caitlin and Hawke took several of the cookies from the canister.

"Wow, these are great," Caitlin told her.

Meg grinned. "Thanks," she said. "I'm making dinner in about an hour."

"Can we help you with anything around here?" asked String. "I really appreciate your hospitality."

"I could use some more firewood," Meg replied. "That is if you don't mind going back outside in that weather. I have some logs stacked up just behind the cabin."

Hawke shook his head. "I'll take care of it," he replied as he put his coat back on and headed out the door.

After he left Caitlin followed the woman into the kitchen.

"You two sure make a fine couple," the older woman told her.

Caitlin blushed. "Oh, we aren't a couple," she replied. "We're just friends."

"Could have fooled me," replied Meg. "You two seem pretty comfortable with each other."

"I guess that's because we've been good friends for the past two years."

"So, why aren't you a couple then?" asked Meg. "It's pretty obvious to me that you like him."

Her remark took Caitlin by surprise. "It is?" she asked. "Of course, I have feelings for him but I've kind of pushed them aside. He doesn't feel the same."

Meg started to reply but Hawke came back into the cabin carrying several small logs. He placed them by the fireplace and then joined the women in the kitchen.

"Is there anything else I can do?" he asked as he sat down at the table and watched the woman cut up vegetables to make a salad.

"No, I think that's about it for now," replied Meg. "I have to admit, I was surprised to have company but I'm rather enjoying it."

"You're a life saver," Caitlin told her. "We'd have frozen out there."

"I'm glad I could help," replied Meg as she shooed Caitlin away from the counter and told her to have a seat.

Caitlin started to comply when a sudden wave of dizziness overcame her. Hawke saw her begin to waver and he jumped up and caught her before she hit the floor. He picked her up as Meg instructed him to take her into the bedroom.

Hawke laid Caitlin down on the bed and Meg covered her in several warm blankets before beginning to assess her condition.

"I'm a retired nurse," she told him. "Sadly my skills didn't do any good when it came to saving my husband's life. He died on impact when he fell out of his tree stand."

"I'm so sorry," replied String. "Is Caitlin alright?"

"It looks like she may have suffered a slight concussion," Meg replied.

"I was worried about that," he told her. "She blacked out after the impact of the landing."

"How long was she out?" asked Meg.

"Just a minute or so," he replied.

Meg put hand on Hawke's arm and squeezed it lightly. "She's going to be fine," she replied.

Hawke sighed, "I sure hope so."

"She means a lot to you," Meg stated. "I see it in your eyes." She stared at him a bit longer. "You have kind eyes but yet a troubled soul."

"Yeah, I guess that's true," he replied. "I've had a lot of heartache in my life."

"That's why even though you love her, you are running from her," she told him.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"I'm good at reading people. I've watched you from the moment I met you," she said. "It is how you look at her when she isn't looking at you."

"She deserves a lot better than me," he told her flatly. "It's not meant to be."

Meg shook her head. "I may be just and old woman but I know true love when I see it," she replied. "Trust me, when the time is right, the two of you will be together. From what I see, you'll have to be the one to initiate it."

"How long were you married?" Hawke asked her while trying to change the subject."

Meg smiled. "Fifty years," she replied. "There wasn't one day that went by that I regretted it either. We knew we were meant to be together the moment we met."

"That's a long time," said String as he took Caitlin's hand. "Are you sure she's going to be okay?"

"I'm pretty confident she is," replied Meg. "I would like to take her blood pressure though. Let me see….I think Bill's blood pressure cuff is around here somewhere."

Meg went to an old trunk and opened it slowly. "Yes, here it is," she replied as she went back over to Caitlin and placed it on her arm.

As she was doing so, Caitlin began to stir.

"What's going on?" asked Caitlin.

String placed his hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down as she tried to sit up.

"Just lay back and take it easy," he instructed her. "You might have a concussion."

"Blood pressure is a little low," Meg said as she removed the cuff. "Just relax. The impact of your hard landing seems to have had some effect on your body."

"Really?" asked Caitlin. "I was feeling fine until I suddenly got light headed."

"Are hungry?" asked Meg.

"Not really," replied Caitlin. "I thought I was but I'm feeling a bit queasy now."

"That's to be expected," said Meg. "Mr. Hawke, I'll bring your dinner to you in here when it's ready."

"Thanks," he replied as he watched her disappear into the other room.

"She's really something," said Caitlin. "We are lucky to have met her."

"Yeah," he replied.

Caitlin couldn't help but notice the concerned look on Hawke's face.

"What's the matter?" she asked. "I hope you aren't worried about me. I'm feeling better already."

"You don't look as pale as you did earlier either," he told her. "I was just thinking about Meg. It must be hard living out here all alone. I wonder why she stays."

Caitlin shrugged. "Probably the same reason you stay at your cabin," she told him.

Hawke lay down beside Caitlin on the bed and the two quickly fell asleep. About an hour later, Meg came in with dinner.

"Caitlin, I brought you some soup," Meg told her. "You really should try to eat something."

"Thanks," replied Caitlin. "I'm feeling a little better now so I'll try."

Hawke and Caitlin ate and then decided to join Meg in the living room.
"Are you sure you're up for it?" asked Hawke as he helped her up off of the bed.

"I'm okay," Caitlin insisted. "Since when did you become such a worry wart?"

Hawke laughed. "Yeah, I guess I'm starting to sound like you."

Caitlin smiled and lightly smacked him on the shoulder. "Very funny," she replied.

When they walked back to the living room, Caitlin couldn't help but look around her. "Hawke, can you do me a favor?" she asked.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I have a box of decorations along with the craft things I bought," she said. "Would it be too much trouble to have you bring those in?"

Hawke knew what Caitlin was thinking. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea," he replied. He told the women he'd be right back and he headed out to get the materials she asked for.

Caitlin sat down beside Meg in front of the fireplace. "I'm feeling so much better now," she told her. "I needed that little nap."

Meg smiled. "I hate to see you hurt but I have to admit that it feels good to be needed again."

"I'm so sorry for your loss," replied Caitlin. "It must be hard being left behind like that."

"Sometimes," replied Meg. "But I have my memories to keep me going."

"I wonder what's taking him so long?" asked Caitlin after Hawke had been outside for about a half an hour.

"I'm sure he's fine," said Meg. "But if you'd like I'll go and check."

"I can look," insisted Caitlin.

"No sweetheart," she replied. "You need your rest."

As Meg opened the door, she was greeted by a six foot tree with Hawke right behind it.

"I hope you don't mind me cutting this down," he told her. "Caitlin and I thought you needed a little Christmas around here."

Meg smiled and picked up the box that Hawke had dropped on the porch as he led the way back in with the tree.

"I haven't had a tree in years," she told him. "What a wonderful idea."

Caitlin took the box from her and sat it on the couch before opening it. "I bought some extra things to decorate for the children's Christmas party," she told them. "Since I won't get to be there, it will be nice to not let them all go to waste."

Hawke put the tree in a stand that Meg brought to him while Caitlin sorted out the decorations that she thought would be fitting to go on it. Meg helped Caitlin decorate it while Hawke sat on the couch, sipped coffee and watched.

"Decorating trees is not your thing Mr. Hawke?" asked Meg.

"I don't think I've decorated one since my parents died," he told her.
"That's too bad," Meg told him. "It's okay to look back at the old memories but there's something to be said about making new ones."

Hawke smiled at her. "Yeah, I guess," he replied. "This tree sure has turned out pretty nice."

"I agree," replied Meg as she studied the two of them carefully. "I don't think I've ever met any two people with such beautiful hearts. You have no idea how wonderful this makes me feel. I'd nearly forgotten the joy that Christmas can bring."

Caitlin reached over and hugged Meg. "We owe you a lot Meg," she said. "It's the least we can do."

Meg pulled away and went over to the desk drawer. She took out a Polaroid instant camera. "You two get in front of the tree and let me take your picture," she ordered.

The two complied by standing in front of the tree with their arms wrapped around each other as Meg took the picture. Afterwards she sat the instant photo on the table and waited for it to develop. A few minutes later she picked it up and smiled. "Perfect," she said as she handed it to Caitlin.

"Keep this so you'll never forget," she told her.

"Never forget what?" asked Caitlin.

Meg smiled. "You'll see," she replied. "Well, it's getting late so I think we need to get some sleep. You two take the bedroom."

"Oh, we don't want to take your bed," said Caitlin.

"Honey, I haven't slept in there in six years," she told her. "I keep the sheets clean and all but without Bill, I like it better out here."

Hawke followed Caitlin into the bedroom. "I promise I won't bite," he told her as he lay down beside her.

"Cute," she replied. "We've already taken a nap together. I'm not worried about you."

"I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted," he teased.

Caitlin smiled and then shuttered. "It's getting a little chilly in here isn't it?"

String dragged the covers up over them and pulled Caitlin close to him. "I'll keep you warm," he assured her. "Just get some sleep."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"String? String can you hear me?" asked Dom as he radioed Airwolf. "Where are you?"

The sounds of Airwolf's computers and Dom's voice startled Hawke as he woke and took in his surroundings.

"Dom?" asked Hawke.

"Finally!" Dom yelled. "Where the hell are you two? It's Christmas Eve and you should have been back last night."

String couldn't help feeling dazed and confused. He looked around and then quickly turned to see Caitlin unconscious in the back of the craft.

"Caitlin!" he called out to her. "Caitlin are you okay?"

Caitlin slowly opened her eyes. "What's going on?" she asked. "I thought we were…."

"String, can you hear me," Dom radioed again.

"Yeah Dom," he finally answered. "We had to land due to the storm. Let me get back to you on where we are in a minute."

Caitlin began checking Airwolf's systems. "Everything seems to be working now," she told him before finally asking the question that was on both their minds. "How did we get back in here?"

"I don't know," he replied. "The last thing I remember is going to sleep in the cabin."

"That's the last thing I remember too," she replied. "String, I don't see the cabin anymore. Did we fly out?"

String looked around. "I don't know," he replied. "We had to have left. I don't see it either. Let's get out of here."

String slow and steadily lifted Airwolf off of the ground. "Find our location and radio it to Dom," he told her.

"Got it," she said as she quickly checked their coordinates.

Afterwards the two flew in silence as they made their way back to Airwolf's lair. It wasn't until they landed and Caitlin was gathering her things that she finally spoke up. "Was it all a dream?" she asked. "Meg and the cabin I mean? Did I dream it?"

"If it's possible that two people can have the same dream at the same time then maybe," he told her. "But I don't think so."

"It all seemed too real to be a dream," she admitted.

"Come on," he said. "Let's give Michael his package so you can get to that party."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Caitlin and Hawke met up with Dom before going into Michael's office. "I'm glad you two are alright," he told them. "I was worried sick about you. What happened?"

"The storm caused Airwolf's systems to malfunction," he told him. "We had to land and well, after that it gets a little fuzzy."

"What do you mean fuzzy," said Michael as he joined the group and ushered them into his office.

"We met this woman who let us stay in her cabin," said Hawke. "But when we woke up we found ourselves back inside Airwolf and the cabin was no longer there."

"We had to have flown on from there," said Caitlin. "I just don't remember doing it."

"Where was this cabin?" asked Michael as he moved to his computer.

Caitlin gave him the coordinates she recalled right before they had to do the emergency landing.

Michael keyed in the information. "What was the name of the woman?" he asked.

"Her first name was Meg and her husband was Bill," replied Caitlin. "They had the name Wilson over their mantel so I'm assuming it was their last name."

Michael keyed in the additional information into the computer and then shot them a strange look. "Well, they did have a cabin in that area," he said. "But it's not possible for you to have met them or to have been inside it."

"What are you talking about Michael?" asked Hawke. "What did you find?"

Michael sighed. "Well, Bill Wilson died just over six years ago when he fell from a tree stand," he replied.

"Yeah, that's what Meg told us," said Caitlin.

"Well, that's odd because that following winter, on Christmas Eve, Meg died when the cabin caught fire and burned to the ground."

Hawke and Caitlin looked at each other. "Michael, that's not possible," said Hawke. "We met Meg last night."

Michael turned his monitor around and showed them the photo on his screen. "Was that her?" he asked.

"God in heaven," replied Caitlin. "Yes, that's her."

"I'm afraid she's dead," Michael insisted. "I don't know where you were or who you met but it wasn't one of the Wilsons."

As they headed back to Santini Air Caitlin kept going over and over the previous night's events in her mind. "I know I didn't dream it," she insisted.

Hawke didn't reply. He wasn't sure how to explain what happened and it decided it would be best to forget about it.

"Caitlin, are you still going to the party tonight," he asked her.

"No, I think I need a quieter evening," she replied. "The other ladies have done a great job and kids are being well taken care of. That's why I wasn't too upset about missing it in the first place."

"Then come up to the cabin with Dom and me," he insisted.

"Sure," she said almost sadly, "That would be great."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Later that evening, Caitlin sat on Hawke's couch and stared at the roaring fire he'd built. Her mind drifted back to Meg and her cabin.

"Cait?" asked Hawke. "What's wrong?"

Caitlin looked up to see Hawke carrying in a small tree. "I thought a little tree might put us in the Christmas spirit," he told her.

"Christmas spirit," Cait whispered.

"Huh?" asked Hawke.

"Oh, I was just thinking that Meg was like a Christmas spirit," she replied. "I don't know how else to explain what happened to us."

"Cait, we had to have been dreaming," replied Hawke. "It's the only logical explanation."

Caitlin shot him a disagreeing look. "Do you really believe that?" she asked.

"No, but for my sanity I think its best," he replied.

"Speaking of insanity," Caitlin giggled. "Where's our jolly Santa?"'

Hawked laughed. "Dom will be here in about an hour. He had some presents to drop off to a few friends of his. Oh, and I brought that box of decorations you had inside. They are over there on the counter."

"Thanks," replied Caitlin as she got up and moved the box to the floor beside the fireplace. "At least these will still be put to use. I hated wasting…."

Caitlin stopped and stared at the contents of the box.

"What's the matter?" said String as he moved over to her.

Caitlin picked up the photo that was sitting on top of the boxed decorations. She stared at it and then handed it to Hawke.

He looked at the photo and then to her. "All the decorations are still in the box and haven't been used," she told him. "How in the world is this possible?"

Hawke looked again at the photo of the two of them standing in front of the tree in Meg's cabin.

"I don't know," he replied. "I doubt we ever will. I just know that she made me believe that it is okay to start new memories and that's what I'm going to do."

Caitlin smiled and hugged him tight. "Merry Christmas," she said softly.

Hawke pulled back and looked deeply into her eyes. "I'm going to start with this," he said as he pulled her to him and kissed her.

"Merry Christmas Caitlin," he replied afterwards. "I have a feeling we're going to make a lot of great memories this year."

The End

Merry Christmas to all my readers!